Tarek, Egypt

As a young man in Egypt, Tarek was arrested and imprisoned for kissing another man. After that, no one would hire him because he was marked as a gay man. He eventually started a long distance relationship with someone in the United States and came on a tourist visa to visit. They soon broke up, but Tarek was able to apply for asylum and stay in the country. Being able to live in the United States, “means a lot, I finally embrace myself. I had a lot of fear and guilt in Egypt, and I was able to heal through the process of living here. I have slowly started to embrace myself and embrace my sexuality. I started to love myself and love who I am. I never in my life thought I’d do this, but I publicly came out two weeks ago on Facebook. I felt a peace of mind when I did it and a feeling of relief, of having a lot of people support me.” Tarek now lives in Brooklyn and does freelance architecture and costume design. He wants to be a famous costume designer and dreams of dressing Britney Spears and Lady Gaga.

Our Focus

Immigration Equality is the nation's leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization. We represent and advocate for people from around the world fleeing violence, abuse, and persecution because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.